Ebola... The deadly virus from outer space causing misery on Earth

Ebola... The deadly virus from outer space causing misery on Earth

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS: Bacteria can live on meteorites that fall to Earth [GETTY]

And the bug, feared to have already reached the UK from Africa, fell to Earth on a meteorite.

The revelation came after a Spanish priest became Europe’s first confirmed case.

Ashley Dale, researcher in Aerospace Engineering at Bristol University, said: “There is always a chance the ebola virus could have come from outside this planet at some point during the evolutionary process.

“We have meteorites from Mars landing on our planet every year, bacteria can survive this journey, we have already seen this in laboratory experiments simulating the extreme environment.

“Virus particles can also make it through undamaged so there is definitely a possibility something could have arrived back in the evolution of the planet that we are seeing now.”